03:20 pmSo this last week was crazy. As some of you may know, the last space shuttle launch was on the 8th and I decided it was time for me to haul my sorry backside yonder and get about the business of seeing one.

Space shuttles are notorious for being delayed and I was advised to plan to be around for the launch and the week afterwards. I figured that wouldn't be too bad -- Walt Disney World's in the area, Kennedy Space Center's right there, and I should be able to find something else if the launch took a while.

Then the dates for California Extreme were posted -- the 9th and 10th. And then I started to sweat.

I changed my schedule around to be optimistic. I planned on leaving for Florida on the 4th, seeing Walt Disney World (really, just EPCOT) on the 5th, Kennedy Space Center on the 6th, leaving the 7th open, and seeing the launch on the 8th. At about 4pm on the 8th, I'd fly back home, crash out for about 5 hours, and then head to California Extreme.

A lunatic friend of mine told me while I was out there "You booked a ticket? But there's only a 30% chance of launch!"

NEWS FLASH, IDIOT: They've launched with a 10% chance. It's the last shuttle launch. If you're going to see it, you stand out there if there's a 1% chance. I just don't understand why someone would say something like that. Unless, of course, they want to be able to say "I told you so" if it doesn't launch. Wholly distasteful.

Anyway, I'll kill the suspense now -- it worked out perfectly. I'd been prepared to file a claim on my travel insurance, get my ticket moved, and miss California Extreme if the launch had been delayed, but I didn't have to. Everything worked out perfectly.

Except for being really sleep deprived, anyway.

Life is really, really boring after a week of rockets and video games, but I can't imagine anyone really feeling sorry for me.